Hi fellas I am going to be hunting the east side of the superior forest in north eastern MN I am wondering what I should do to be successful and how the deer numbers are with the bad winter and the increase in wolves ? Thanks

Welcome, by the way.This time of year there is not much going on here, so you may not get an answer right away. Your question is pretty specific too. Try posting it also in the "state" portion of the Forum.

This is what I have found out on my own when hunting this far north and east. Most of what I read says the deer are down in numbers because of the harsh winter. But the tend to move toward the lake when the snow flys. They like to feed in clear cuts and move often to avoid the wolves so still hunting is probably my best option. So that is what I have found so far this hunt should be a challenge as I am hunting with my bow. I hunted the beltraimi state forest for a few years and had good results and am looking for this new challenge. If anyone has any other advice I would love to hear it. Thanks as always.

Does this property allow for climbing stands or ladder stands? They tend to give you a better view, and less likely to be seen, as you are not on their level. Some decent binos would not go amiss either, so you can see them, before they are close enough to see you. Don't forget to stock up on hand warmers either, nothing gets you busted faster than movement. If you can't sit still, being cold, you might as well go home.

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.

Yes it does allow for stand hunting but visability is poor because of how thick the brush is. On top of that deer numbers are down and that makes for a long sit in the stand. I believe I'll have greater success still hunting or track hunting?

I would suggest, if the area is new to you, that you should try on foot, with a climbing stand on your back. Start with good maps of the area with as much detail as you can find. Where are the food sources?, water?, bedding areas? Draw lines between these points, and then adjust those lines for the contours of the land. (deer, usually take the easy route, but not always.) try to think like a deer. "what do I need, where can I get it, how do I get there?" time of day will effect your hunt. Once you are boots on the ground, follow you planning to get you in the right areas, then follow tracks for a while until you find a good ambush site along one or more trails between food, water, and bedding sites. Once you have found your ambush site, I would go vertical. You are less likely to be seen, above 12-18 feet, and your vision in brushy areas improves. I would avoid scent additives of any kind. New scents in an area, will alert deer, even if they are welcome scents. (they weren't there before, now they are, something changed)If you wish to stay on the ground and track, I would suggest something that breaks up your outline, like a ghillie suit, and move very slowly and silently.

The only real difference between a good tracker and a bad tracker is observation. All the same data is present for both. The rest is understanding what you are seeing.

I will try all of those tactics thank you for the valuable information. I believe it will be very useful and I hope to be successful. I am planning a scouting trip in May to get a feel for the land. I will update you after my trip. As always thank you for the information.